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Why Disney CEO Bob Iger Is Back at the Helm of the House of Mouse
Why Disney CEO Bob Iger Is Back at the Helm of the House of Mouse

As McRib Waves Goodbye, McDonald's Menu Adds New Burgers

The Golden Arches just dropped two burgers and a new McFlurry flavor.

After a month-long "farewell tour," the McRib has finally left McDonald's  (MCD) - Get Free Report menus -- the barbecue pork sandwich was a regular item between 1981 and 1985 and has regularly reappeared as an LTO in the last decade. 

While the Golden Arches pushed an extensive marketing campaign saying that the period between Oct. 31 and Nov. 20 was one's "last chance" to try it, many doubt that the McRib is gone for good. 

The McRib has come and gone at least a dozen times since 2006 and there is always a flurry of excitement (and sales) around its return. One wealth management expert once even calculated a small positive correlation between McRib's availability and a strong S&P 500.

For now, however, the McRib is off the menu with no return date.

This Sandwich is Taking The Place of The McRib

Whether to replace it or simply test customer demand for another pork-heavy product, McDonald's just released two new burgers -- the Smoky BLT Quarter Pounder with Cheese and the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

The only real difference between the two burgers is that the latter comes with two burger patties. Otherwise, they are both the chain's regular Quarter Pounders (a beef patty with lettuce, tomato, and American cheese on a toasted sesame seed bun) with the added twist of several slices of smoked bacon.

McDonald's also released an Oreo Fudge McFlurry to go with the new burgers, which is the chain's vanilla ice cream swirled with cookie pieces and topped with hot fudge.

"The two new menu items will drop at participating McDonald's restaurants nationwide beginning Nov. 21," McDonald's said in a press release. "And while they're only here for a limited time (while supplies last) -- they're definitely here for a good time."

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The Complex Business of Bacon And Fast Food LTOs

Generally, bacon burgers are some of the most indulgent items on a fast food chain's menu. The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese with two patties is a whopping 990 calories (an average adult generally needs 2,000 a day) while the single-patty burger still packs 770 calories.

But anything with bacon always results in a flurry of customer excitement. While its Mcdonald's breakfast offerings feature everything from the Sausage McMuffin to the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit, the regular lunch and dinner menu is not particularly rich on pork. Other than the McRib, the meat is generally relegated to bacon slices atop a sandwich.

As McRib's virality shows, there is certainly an appetite for bacon among McDonald's customers. During one of the comeback sales, the barbecue pork sandwich boosted the chain's monthly sales by almost 5%.

In the two days that the new burgers have been around, multiple bloggers have also already released videos taste-testing the burgers and the McFlurry.

But popularity or even strong sales are not always a reason to make an LTO permanent as an initial spike in demand can peter out over time. Certain items also benefit from manufactured gotta-have-it-now scarcity.

"The fear of missing out (FOMO) trigger is one of the top reasons limited time offers work," writes industry consulting group Food & Drinks Resources. "By stressing the fact that the offer is for a limited time, you make your customers feel special while imparting the message that they must act quickly to enjoy the savings you're offering."